“Missing?”

  They were gathered inside Miss Opal’s small house, the three of them standing and sitting close together as the conversation unfolded.

  The small main room was illuminated by the flickering light of the fireplace.

  Opal was an elderly woman with brown hair braided neatly down her back, the plait streaked with gray from age. Her features were gentle, though deep lines at the corners of her eyes and mouth spoke of hardship.

  She wore a patched dress beneath a faded apron, and a woolen shawl was wrapped around her shoulders to ward off the cold. She sat on a wooden chair beside the fireplace with a slightly hunched posture, hands clasped in her lap. Her expression was one of grief and guilt.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have…” Opal sniffed, her voice breaking as she lifted one calloused hand to wipe at her eyes.

  “Ma’am, please calm down,” Arnold offered her the white handkerchief from his coat.

  Opal accepted it with trembling fingers, bowing her head slightly as she dabbed at her tears.

  At the same time, Arnold shot a glare toward Lumber, his irritation carried a clear message: ‘If you knew she usually came here, why did you waste time roaming the streets?’

  Lumber, who was leaning silently against the far wall, tapped his fingers impatiently against his arm. He glared back at Arnold and Opal, his fierce expression seeming to say: ‘Why should I explain anything to a brat like you?’

  After learning more about Lumber’s situation, Arnold and the big man had formed a temporary alliance for one purpose only: finding Mary.

  They had already gone from house to house, questioning villagers, and checking all her usual places.

  Yet no one had seen her, because the streets had been unusually deserted the previous night.

  When they reached the last house along the lane, Lumber had hesitated. Arnold predicted that was why he had not come to Opal's house first.

  But this time, with nowhere else to turn, Lumber had no choice but to meet her.

  Opal slowly calmed herself and looked up at Lumber with worried eyes, her eyes containing some unknown, soft affection.

  Lumber immediately averted his gaze, looking uncomfortable.

  “Yesterday…” Opal began to recount the story.

  She described how Mary had arrived at her door in tears, how she had comforted her, and offered her a place to calm down.

  As the story continued, Lumber lowered his eyes with an apologetic, pained gaze, clenched his hands tightly.

  “And, and, my Otis went missing, so…”

  The moment the name Otis left her lips, Lumber’s eyes flashed red.

  “No!”

  He immediately burst out of the house and disappeared into the street.

  ‘What?’

  Arnold narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

  ‘Does he know something about Otis?’

  He tracked Lumber’s retreating figure until it vanished beyond his Field Vision.

  ‘Leave it to me!’

  ‘Mmm.’

  Isa immediately switched to the bird puppet they had perched on the cottage roof and continued tracking him.

  Meanwhile, Arnold turned around and faced Opal.

  He pulled a chair closer and sat down across from her.

  Opal flinched slightly at the sudden movement. She hesitated, before reaching for the teapot on the small table. With careful hands, she poured tea into a chipped cup and offered it to him.

  “S-sir, for you.”

  Arnold nodded as a courtesy.

  “Otis gone missing.” Arnold murmured. He remembered Mary mentioning the name before. Otis, Opal’s only son.

  Mary had been reprimanded by Lumber, ran to Opal for comfort, and finally ran out to find Otis.

  “Hmm.”

  ‘That girl really likes to meddle in other people's affairs.’

  But Arnold did not find it irritating. On the contrary, because of people like her, as an investigator in Izzy’s past life, she could gain access to a great deal of information.

  Opal soon continued, her voice hoarse and unsteady, as if each word scraped against her throat.

  “I, I warned her, not to run out at night, but…”

  Her fingers tightened around the handkerchief.

  Arnold raised an eyebrow.

  “Why?”

  She hesitated, lips parting slightly before closing again. But after a moment, she opened her eyes, a new wave of determination shining within them.

  “Sir, please don’t laugh at this.” She continued.

  “It was because of the rumour.

  “A rumour meant to warn children from running outside at night.” she hiccupped, her voice dropped, becoming uneasy.

  “It’s about a violet-eyed monster. They say it sucks the children's blood, roaming at night to hunt for bad children…”

  Arnold’s pupils dilated. Why? Because he knew about the violet eyes!

  It was the maid from Madam’s estate!

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  Suspicion welled up in him.

  Was it just a rumour to prevent children from running out at night? Or was it the truth?

  ‘Monster.’

  That maid certainly looked like one.

  Opal shook her head violently. “But I know, it’s real.”

  Her hands trembled as she spoke. “Everyone knew it. There was a time when people in our village went missing. That’s why night is the most frightening time for us.”

  She clasped her hands together, before looking up with a sudden reverence.

  “But, the White Monarch saved us all!”

  “???”

  So sudden? Arnold raised his eyebrows.

  “The Church decided to take matters into their own hands!” Opal continued, her voice gaining strength. “Father Victor, the moment Father Victor announced that they would protect us, that they would get rid of the monster, everyone was so relieved!”

  ‘The Church?’

  “That was why, from that point on, it was reduced to a mere rumour to scare children.”

  Her hand hovered near the teacup, her fingers trembling.

  Arnold nodded.

  “Where do you think Otis would be?”

  Opal sniffed. She hesitated again, uncertainty clouding her expression.

  “I-I’m not sure, but…”

  “Where did he usually go?”

  “Usually he would be in the center of the village, dancing with the children.” She wiped her tears again with the handkerchief.

  “And, and, he stays in the churchyard… to study how to act as an elf’s knight, and prepare for the Rite.”

  “Elf?”

  “The elf, the Moon Elf.”

  “The Moon Elf.” Arnold tilted his head. This was the first time he had ever heard of this.

  Elf. Had he encountered something similar before?

  ‘Ah, that fantasy race.’

  The fantasy race that Izzy usually saw in novels and games in her past life. Someone from the past introduced the term to her.

  Opal nodded.

  “Yes, The Moon Elf. On the day of the Rite, our Madam, as the Moon Maiden, will bless the Elf in front of the full moon, offering the Elf to Her Majesty.”

  ‘Madam is the Moon Maiden?’

  So Madam was indeed the Moon Maiden. Arnold had held a suspicion about it, but now it was confirmed.

  Then, did she also have violet eyes? The maid had violet eyes, after all. Did they relate to the monster somehow?

  A chill crept down his spine.

  And that word. Offer.

  Was it only symbolic, or literal? Sacrifice children again?

  “Offer?” Arnold asked carefully.

  “It’s only symbolic, sir,” Opal replied quickly. “The Moon is associated with the Elf, a fantasy race that brings better harvests and gentle dreams.”

  She continued.

  “The rite of the Moon Maiden, only children below the age of sixteen may participate.

  “By becoming a Moon Elf, one’s status in the village will be elevated.”

  Her voice faltered.

  “Otis, Otis was one of the children chosen to be the Elf’s attendant.”

  “So there are several chosen?”

  “No, sir. There is only one main position for the Moon Elf, purely for symbolism. While the others… they will be her attendants, the knights, the dancers, and the servants.”

  Arnold nodded. He understood.

  One girl as an Elf for the symbolism, and several other children as her attendants. One child as the symbolic focus, and several others to support the role.

  That meant Otis had been staying at the church. And likely, the other children as well.

  ‘So if I want to investigate further, then the Church should be the next direction.’

  He stroked his chin in wonder.

  Why did this happen the moment he needed her?

  Was it a coincidence?

  Although he could ask the other villagers for information, he imagined they would be very suspicious.

  And what if he asked the culprit directly?

  That would be bad. He still did not understand the full extent of the danger hidden within this village.

  ‘Should I ask the Inspector for help?’

  Should he pass this information to them and request their assistance in finding Mary? They might already know fragments of this, given their profession.

  He doubted they would help, but it was better than not trying.

  Arnold focused his Field Vision again.

  ‘As expected, she’s still here.’

  The girl in white attire, Hazel. She was perched on the rooftop of Opal’s house.

  Although—

  ‘…’

  Hazel wore a distinctly curious expression. She carefully crawled and pressed her ear flat against the roof tiles.

  ‘Instead of crawling around like a stray cat, why don’t you just come inside…’

  Arnold rubbed the bridge of his nose, momentarily speechless.

  It wasn’t as if Opal would refuse to speak if Hazel were present. In fact, Opal might reveal even more information in front of an authority figure from the Church!

  ‘These people, honestly.’

  Arnold returned his attention to Opal.

  He nodded lightly, then stood and gave a polite bow.

  “I understand. I will try to find them.”

  “Thank you, sir, thank you!” Opal replied repeatedly, her voice trembling with hope.

  As Arnold stepped out of Otis’s house, his foot caught on the uneven threshold!

  He stumbled and fell forward, hitting the ground with a dull thud.

  “Sir!”

  “?”

  Inside Arnold’s body, Izzy knitted her brows.

  She plunged into the mindscape, racing across the expanse until she reached Isa.

  ‘What happened, Isa?’

  The girl looked around, head tilted to one side, a large question mark practically hovering above her.

  ‘I… I lost my bird?’

  ‘What?’

  Why was it a question?

  Izzy focused on the link to their bird puppet.

  ‘Huh?’

  The bird was nowhere to be found.

  Isa had been using it to track Lumber, and yet—

  ‘What did you encounter?’

  ‘Isa…’ Isa pressed a finger to her temple. ‘Isa doesn’t remember?’

  She looked completely bewildered, before craning her head and asking innocently.

  ‘What are we doing?’

  Izzy raised her eyebrows.

  ‘We are tracking Lumber.’

  ‘Ah! Him!’

  Isa widened her eyes in sudden realization.

  ‘He ran into the forest!’

  Izzy nodded. Of course she knew.

  The last time she checked with Arnold’s Field Vision, he had run toward the forest.

  And that direction was the west, opposite to the mansion’s direction.

  ‘Right. Isa, possess another bird at the mansion.’

  ‘Yes, Captain Izzy!’ Isa gave a sloppy salute before disappearing to do her job.

  Izzy returned her focus to Arnold. She controlled him to stand up calmly, brush the dust from his fine clothes, and walk away as if nothing had happened.

  “…”

  Opal looked at him with a complicated gaze.

  —